Mr Good Towns - What expectations?

Seems like Mr Good Towns has high expectations (presumably supported by the board - it would be interesting to know what targets they have set in relation to finishing position) - as he is quoted as saying:"Last year the squad started extremely well. The belief was there and the margin was there for Tottenham to win the title.

"If we are able to take the squad to the levels of ambition we want, it [the title] is something we can think of.

"We just have to continue with the quality work that Harry left us."

...so it seems he quite rates the current squad (in general) - but presumably could also be talking future squads ('...take the squad to the levels of ambition..' is a bit ambiguous as it could be read to mean that the squad needs improving or that the squad is ok to aim higher).With Ade not signing as yet (and no other new striker having put pen to paper), I'd be concerned as to where the goals will come from next season.

I'd be happy with a 4th-6th slot at this stage, given that it's a transition season again. Although if we start the season like the first half of last season though, and if Mr GT can sort out the post Christmas blues and keep us in the mix, then maybe 4th and above is possible - who knows?

Maybe if you post the whole '....settle for 1 point...' quote you may see that he was still doing that SB. He wanted to finish as high as possible (I think it odd to suggest otherwise - as what was the benefit to 'arry of finishing lower?)

Dear me SB how you change - I recall you having a go at 'arry re his title stuff (December'ish) some months before we played Villa. Did you have a crystal ball and know then what he was going to subsequently say?

PS - I asked this before - can you provide the whole quote of 'arrys where you say he said he'd settle for a point? I'd love to see it in context.

if avb says stuff like that but then says he would always settle for a pt at villa with 10men, he would settle for 4th despite 3rd being up for grabs, he would settle for replying on others to seal or deny us CL fate etc

if avb says stuff like that but then says he would always settle for a pt at villa with 10men, he would settle for 4th despite 3rd being up for grabs, he would settle for replying on others to seal or deny us CL fate etc

At this stage 4-6th spot looks realistic, with the majority of the top 6 teams strengthening, that may change, so I'll reserve my right not to deal just yet. What with all the in's and out's, I think 4th would be a real achievement.

I don't anticipate Liverpool, Goons or Chavs being as poor as they were last year.

If we are able to take the squad to the levels of ambition we want, it [the title] is something we can think of'

Yeah a little vague, I take this to mean, if we are able to strengthen in certain areas we may be able to challenge for the title.

I would be delighted if we were able to really challenge for the title. But unless we sign 5-6 top class players and our current squad plays exceptionally well throughout the year, I think top four maybe our limit.

A top class striker is essential, I hope we don't have to wait much longer on that front.

The King is dead; Long live the King.Andre Villas Boas surveyed the newest part of the kingdom of Spurs that he has inherited, as the media were allowed in to the state-of-the-art, £45 million training facility in Enfield, for the first time.The inevitable questions regarding his departure from Chelsea and their subsequent Champions League and FA Cup victories emanated from the scrum of journalists, but we Spurs fans can gloss over what happened in West London and concentrate on the future.Bold statements of challenging for the league, competing strongly on all fronts in the three cup competitions, and building for the future were forthcoming, and the Sports hacks lapped it up to further the debate on AVB’s prowess, coaching ability, failures, and keenness to talk up the job at hand on blogs and comment sections across the world wide web.Harry was the media’s darling, always ready with a comment, a quip and a put down, and the tabloids and broadsheets alike took great pleasure in comparing the two men, and whether Redknapp’s legendary man-management skills would be missed, replaced by this tactically obsessed young Portuguese gentlemen. Stories suggesting the Spurs players were against his appointment and that all Tottenham fans were foaming at the mouth with outrage at his appointment were abound. All of it tosh or, at the very least, greatly exaggerated.The wounded manWhat can we take from his first interview? He is obviously bitter about his sacking by Chelsea, only eight months into a three year deal, with the promise that it was a long term ‘re-building’ project. He may have been a touch naive believing that a revolution at Stamford Bridge would be accepted by all, and that if there was a dip in form and results whilst he engineered the new Blues, that there wouldn’t be consequences.Spurs are still a work in progress, whilst they were in need of a change, and still are, the old aren’t getting younger, and as hard as Terry, Lampard, Cole et al may fight it, it’s inevitable they will come unstuck if they don’t faze them out. It went wrong for him. That’s not say it will at White Hart Lane.There is scope for experimentation, not a radical change, and this is something he made a point of stating, from Harry’s work that lead us to 3 consecutive top 5 finishes, but there was still a step or two missing in sustaining our challenge for 3rd place which was clear for all to see.It is apparent he is excited by the prospect of where Spurs can go. As much as rival fans would like to tell us it was the same old story for us last season, their bravado and arrogance once the season was over and Arsenal finished a huge one point ahead of us and Chelsea glossed over a poor league campaign by winning the Champions League, there can be no doubt Spurs were their equals, something they are not used to. They can scoff all they want about our drive for success and suggestions we will finish above them this season, it could happen, it nearly did.Villas Boas will need to instil a winning mentality, something the red lot across North London have had for a decade, but may be losing, and whatever Sir Alex in Manchester has drummed into United to never know when they’ve lost.